I’m not asking for a pay rise and I’m not greedy says MP

Reading West MP Martin Salter has denied claims made in a national newspaper that he is “greedy”.

A story in the Daily Mirror newspaper on Saturday suggested Mr Salter was after more cash.

The paper, referring to comments made by Mr Salter, said he thought he should be paid more than headteachers and chief executives of councils.

This is despite the Labour politician receiving an MP’s salary of £61,820, in line with other politicians.

The newspaper – under the headline ‘Greedy MPs demand £100,000-a-year salaries’ – quoted Mr Salter as saying: “You’ll be hard pressed to find a chief executive who’s on less than £100,000.

“We’re certainly paid less than headteachers and many deputy headteachers.”

Mr Salter has admitted he did say these things but claims the newspaper took the comments out of context. He told the Evening Post he was angry about the avaricious way he was portrayed in the story.

Mr Salter said he did not speak to the paper, and the quotes were taken from a BBC website on Friday, March 14, following an interview he gave on the network’s Radio Five Live programme.

In the original interview he said: “I think there is a case for Members of Parliament actually being paid more and then having to fund their London allowance out of their own income.”

He was on air to talk about the recently revealed ‘John Lewis list’ which showed MPs were allowed to claim up to £10,000 to install a new kitchen, up to £6,335 for a new bathroom and £750 for a television or stereo in their London pads.

Mr Salter said: “I gave a live interview about the John Lewis list. It is outrageous to claim I am greedy.

“I do not have a flat in London and I do not have a London allowance. Other local MPs – including John Redwood [for Wokingham] and Theresa May [for Maidenhead] – claim the local allowance.

“But for MPs who live far way, in Southampton or Glasgow for example, it is impossible to commute and they need somewhere to stay.”

Mr Salter said he suggested three options in the interview. He said the Government could either increase MPs’ salaries, pay for MPs to stay in hotels in the capital, buy flats on behalf of MPs or carry on with expenses for flats.

“I am not looking for my salary to be increased,” he added. “I am not asking for MPs to receive a pay rise.